Called to the Bar: International Law over Drinks

• 57. The UNRWA Opinion: The ICJ, the future of the UN system and ... K-Pop Demon Hunters?

  The UNRWA Opinion: The ICJ, the future of the UN system and ... K-Pop Demon Hunters? In this episode of Called to the Bar: International Law Over Drinks, host Dr Juliette McIntyre (University of South Australia) is joined by Dr Tamer Morris (University of Sydney) for a dive into the International Court of Justice’s recent advisory opinion on the Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations, Other International Organizations and Third States in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory — better known as the UNRWA Opinion. The conversation explores what the Court actually said about the legal consequences of Israel’s ongoing occupation and the corresponding duties of third states and international organizations. Juliette and Tamer unpack how the ICJ approached questions of sovereignty, occupation, and self-determination, and how this opinion builds upon—or departs from—the Court’s earlier 2004 Wall Advisory Opinion. Along the way, they discuss: - The Court’s reaffirmation of the illegality of prolonged occupation and annexation; - The obligations of non-recognition and non-assistance for third states; - The implications for UN agencies such as UNRWA; - The future of international law, regionalism and the UN system; and - K-Pop Demon Hunters. As always, these are informal conversations over drinks, reflecting the personal views of the participants and not those of their institutions. Recommendations: Marco Longobardo, The Use of Armed Force in Occupied Territory, https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/use-of-armed-force-in-occupied-territory/E3BFD67926CE0BF856E08277D6218C7C Strong Girl Bong-soon (K-drama) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6263222/ Goblin (or Guardian: The Lonely and Great God) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5994364/ When Life Gives You Tangerines (extreme sad feelings warning) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26471411/ Music: Sam Barsh, Oils of Au Lait

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• 56. Does Australia have Credible Climate Targets? (Spoilers: no)

  In this episode of Called to the Bar: International Law Over Drinks, host Dr Ntina Tzouvala (UNSW Sydney) is joined by Dr Julia Dehm (La Trobe Law School) and Dr Cristy Clark (University of Canberra) to unpack Australia’s newly announced 2035 emissions reduction target - a pledge to cut national emissions by 62–70% below 2005 levels - as well as the international legal framework within which it sits. The conversation examines how the government’s language of a “credible contribution” to global climate efforts contrasts with the more stringent standards articulated in the International Court of Justice’s recent Advisory Opinion on Climate Change. The panel asks whether Australia’s approach treats the 1.5°C goal as truly binding or merely aspirational -something “within reach” but politically optional. Drawing on insights from climate justice, environmental law, and human rights, the discussion explores broader questions of legal accountability, temporal justice, and equity in global climate governance. What does it mean for states to align their domestic targets with evolving international obligations? And can the law meaningfully bridge the gap between ambition and action? As always, these are informal conversations over drinks, reflecting the personal views of the participants and not those of their institutions. Recommendations: Julia Dehm, Reconsidering REDD+ Authority, Power and Law in the Green Economy, https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/reconsidering-redd/5D54EFE59BBA35999FEEBD9ACA8EA449 Julia Dehm, Becoming a Climate Conscious Lawyer: Climate Change and the Australian Legal System, https://www.latrobe.edu.au/library/ebureau/publications/featured/becoming-a-climate-conscious-lawyer Cristy Clark, The Lawful Forest: A Critical History of Property, Protest and Spatial Justice, https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/lawful-forest/102FDDD9544740A8ADE16461AAFB1BCE Cristy Clark, Legal Geographies of Water: The Spaces, Places and Narratives of Human-Water Relations, https://www.routledge.com/Legal-Geographies-of-Water-The-Spaces-Places-and-Narratives-of-Human-Water-Relations/Clark/p/book/9781032225968 Law at the End of the World Podcast: https://lawattheendoftheworld.buzzsprout.com/

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• 55. Defending the Defence: Life on the Other Side of the Courtroom

  In this episode of Called to the Bar: International Law Over Drinks, host Dr Juliette McIntyre (University of South Australia) is joined by A/Prof Tamsin Phillipa Paige (Deakin Law School) and special guest Kate Gibson, an international criminal defence lawyer with nearly two decades of experience before the world’s most prominent tribunals. From the ICTR to the ICC, Kate has represented accused persons in cases arising from conflicts in Rwanda, the DRC, Cambodia, Sierra Leone, and the former Yugoslavia. A former President of the Association of Defence Counsel Practising before International Courts and Tribunals, she brings a candid, insider’s view of what it means to uphold the rights of the accused in complex international prosecutions. Together, the panel explores the conditions facing defence lawyers - including underfunding, structural inequities, and the challenge of maintaining fairness in systems requiring the support of states. They also consider the ethical and procedural dilemmas of defending clients tried in absentia. As always, these are informal conversations over drinks, reflecting the personal views of the participants and not those of their institutions. Recommendations ICC proceedings livestream, https://www.icc-cpi.int/streaming-all-displays Yvonne McDermott Rees, Fairness in International Criminal Trials, https://global.oup.com/academic/product/fairness-in-international-criminal-trials-9780198739814 Yvonne McDermott Rees, Proving International Crimes, https://global.oup.com/academic/product/proving-international-crimes-9780198842972?cc=au&lang=en&

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• 54. Recognition, the United Nations and the Question of Palestine

  In this episode, host Dr Ntina Tzouvala is joined by Professor Ardi Imseis (Queen’s Law School, Canada) for a timely conversation about international law, the United Nations, and the long struggle for Palestinian statehood. As Western states — including Australia — formally recognize the State of Palestine at the current UN General Assembly, Professor Imseis brings a unique perspective as both scholar and practitioner. A former UN official with UNRWA and UNHCR, a member of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Yemen (2019–2021), and legal counsel in recent ICJ advisory proceedings on Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, Imseis combines deep practical experience with rigorous scholarship. Drawing on his highly regarded 2023 book, "The United Nations and the Question of Palestine: Rule by Law and the Structure of International Legal Subalternity", Ardi and Ntina explore how the UN’s management of the “Palestine question” has reflected a persistent gap between international law’s promises and its political application. Their discussion considers whether the UN has upheld the rule of law - or merely rule by law —in sustaining what Ardi calls the*international legal subalternity of Palestine and its people. As always, these are informal conversations, reflecting the personal views of the participants and not those of their institutions or any other bodies with which they may have worked or with which they may currently be affiliated. Recommendations: Ardi Imseis, The United Nations and the Question of Palestine https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/united-nations-and-the-question-of-palestine/E8241B33B6C07028765E5E6785AF5CDE Edward Said, The Question of Palestine, https://www.amazon.com.au/Question-Palestine-Edward-W-Said/dp/0679739882 Rashid Khalidi, The Hundred Years War on Palestine, https://www.amazon.com.au/Hundred-Years-War-Palestine-Colonialism/dp/1250787653 Victor Kattan, From Coexistence to Conquest: International Law and the Origins of the Arab-Israeli Conflict 1891-1949, http://plutobooks.com/product/from-coexistence-to-conquest/ Noura Erakat, Justice for Some: Law and the Question of Palestine, https://www.sup.org/books/middle-east-studies/justice-some Ardi Imseis, Partition for Palestine Revisited: On the Origins of Palestine’s International Legal Subalternity, https://law.stanford.edu/publications/the-united-nations-plan-of-partition-for-palestine-revisited-on-the-origins-of-palestines-international-legal-subalternity/

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• 53. What does it mean to expel an ambassador?

  Following Australia's expulsion of the ambassador of Iran for Iran's complicity in anti-semitic attacks, Dr Tamsin Phillipa Paige (Deakin Univeristy) sits down with former ambassador, and honorary ANU professor of international law, Matthew Neuhaus to talk through the legal implications. As usual, we begin with some background on Matthew's career path through international law (and favoured drink).

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